"How's it coming?" a man in a prison jumpsuit says as he walks through the ashes that fall from the sky like snow.
"Almost finished," the kid replies, head stuck in a machine as he messes with the wires.
"Wish I could go along."
"Sorry, only seats one," he replies as he turns a final dial and looks up.
"You understand the trip to the past will fry the machine's circuitry. This…is a one-way ticket."
"Does this look like a future worth returning to?" the kid asks gesturing to the waste-land in which they stand. He sighs and stands up, "well, I better get in character…Neutron."
"Please! Don't use that name. I was Neutron for too many years, through too much destruction. Curing me and saving Flash's life…you know …that's only the beginning," Neutron says as he hands the kid a small blue ball.
"I know Nathaniel, big mission, lots to do, better get to it," the kid replies as he stows the cure and pulls down his goggles. He walks over and jumps in the machine before the door closes and there's a flash of light and a gust of wind and it's gone.
"You know Joann, you need a costume like ours," Kat says one day. She'd been with them a month and was about to start shifts on the street, her abilities had certainly helped her speed through the stealing portion of training and since they didn't fight any big bad guys she could muscle through on her powers alone in fights although she would still be practicing her fighting.
"What do you mean?" she asks and looks around as everyone comes into the living room, they always met up before they left to decide who'd be where, they were about to go out and play vigilante for the night so they were in full costume and she looked around at the various masks and goggles.
"We know you can shape-shift but you seem to like this form so you'll either need to change your face or change your clothes into some sort of costume," Kat says motioning to the Martian's chosen human form.
She was pale, freckles, reddish-brown eyes, and brown hair tied up in a ponytail. She wore the same kind of clothes that she wore the day they met although she alternated the colors of her T-shirt and Converse.
"Well, what about this?" she concentrates for a moment and they watch as her clothes reform into a skin-tight black suit with a red X across the chest and a red belt, knees and shoes. She has black finger-less gloves that go up to her elbow and her hair goes from its usual ponytail to a braid that lies over one shoulder. A black hooded cloak that ends at her waist is tied around her neck and with the hood pulled up they can barely see the domino mask she wears through the shadows.
"Definitely asterous," Robin says with a grin before they're interrupted by a flash of light and burst of lightning.
A machine drops down in the middle of the room, just barely missing Simon's coffee table and they all turn ready to fight, Girlhunter floating behind them. They watch as the machine hisses smoke before it opens and a brunette in a white-and-red costume with goggles jumps out.
"TADA!" he yells, arms spread wide before he looks at them and blinks, "Um…oops?"
"Who are you and how did you get in here?" Robin says and the stranger looks at them.
"Um…I'm a tourist…from the future…but I think I might've gotten the date wrong."
"…"
"Are you serious?" Alley Cat asks and he looks at her before furrowing his face in confusion.
"Who are you?"
"I'm Alley Cat and you're in Renegades HQ, and you better start talking a story we believe or I'll let Cheshire play with you."
He turns to look at Cheshire who holds her Sai threateningly and he visibly gulps, "like I said, I'm a tourist from the future, you know Flash?"
"'Course we do, who doesn't know the Justice Friends? 'sides, Flash is apparently my uncle what's it to ya'?" Velocity says and future-boy looks at him in shock.
"Wally? Wally West? Son of Rudolph and Mary West? That nephew of the Flash?" the kid asks and they all blink in shock before Alley Cat lowers her whip.
"Well, I don't know about you guys but I think we should hear what this kid has to say," she says and they all nod, "start talking."
One Explanation Later
"So you're trying to tell me that I'm supposed to be Flash's sidekick named Kid Flash of all things, he's supposed to be Batman's sidekick, she's supposed to be an assassin, they're not supposed to exist, he's supposed to be Aquaman's sidekick, he's supposed to be the second Robin, and those two are supposed to both be sidekicks of Green Arrow?" Velocity asks incredulously and the kid… Bart apparently nods.
"Yeah, my best guess would be that instead of hopping back in time I guess I hopped into an alternate time-stream on accident. This is soooo not crash, now I have absolutely no idea what's going to happen," he moans and Alley Cat speaks up.
"Well, we could treat it like everything you know from the future is going to happen, just in case, that way if it does we can stop it and if it doesn't oh well at least we're not suffering through the apocalypse."
"…You know, that could actually work," he says blinking in surprise, "but how do we do this?"
"I believe my friends that we should watch out for this REACH, Robin can hack League sensors and watch to see if we can pinpoint where the REACH might be. Also you know the exact day the Flash died correct?" he looks to Bart at this point who nods, "well, around that day we could monitor the news coming out of Central City and when Neutron arrives you cure him and save Flash's life; that would accomplish both of your goals would it not?"
"Yeah, I guess, but both of those events don't really start for about sevenish years, what do I do 'til then?"
"You could live with us, steal during the day, fight crime at night, save the world a few times while no one knows the difference. Maybe once the REACH invasion is over you can go meet your Grandpa, explain a few things, he'd probably be interested in meeting you," Alley Cat says and Arsenal sighs.
"What is it with you and picking up strays?"
"If I left strays on the street I wouldn't have my brother now would I?" she joked and everyone groaned.
"We really need to get him a new name that joke's getting old," Robin says and Bart laughs.
"Alright, so I've got a job, a costume, now all I need is a name."
"Does that costume of yours come in darker colors? We're in Gotham and you look like a walking talking target. Oh, and I say Impulse," Alley Cat says and Bart blinks.
"Yes and I like it!"
"Welcome to the team Impulse," Robin says as Velocity fist-bumps Impulse.
"We can always use more speedsters."
A/N: Happy Wednesday! I actually got this up at a reasonable hour (here anyways). So, it's shorter than usual (a lot shorter than usual) but there's not really much I can do about it at this point. Is the poll up? I'm pretty sure it's up but if not someone PM me or something otherwise go vote or I'll just have to flip a coin or something. Anyways review for virtual cookies!
~Miss Claw